RECESSION EVENTS AND SLEEP PROBLEMS IN MIDLIFE AND AGING ADULTS

Abstract Adverse economic events can negatively impact aspects of health, including sleep quality. Poor sleep can increase risk of developing or exacerbating health conditions such as cardiovascular and metabolic disease, cancer, and suicidal ideation. It is critical to examine how economic hardships may amplify health disparities in midlife and aging, a rapidly growing demographic in the U.S. This study examines the effect of recession hardships on sleep issues in midlife and aging adults using waves 2 and 3 of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS; N = 2602; M age = 63.47; 56.99% women; 15.76% Black). Participants reported chronic sleep problems experienced in the past year, alongside frequency of experiencing sleep disruptions (trouble with onset, maintenance, feeling unrested). Participants also reported economic impacts (financial, housing, and job-related) experienced in the aftermath of the recession; with 75.56% reporting at least one adverse recession event. Regression indicated that recession events were significantly associated with higher odds of chronic sleep problems and high frequency sleep disruptions in wave 3, even when controlling for sleep problems in wave 2. When examining race and age as moderators, Black participants who experienced adverse events were more vulnerable to chronic sleep problems than white participants, whereas age showed no significant interactions. Results indicate that adverse economic events can impact sleep quality for midlife and aging adults, and that policy mitigating economic effects on sleep may especially benefit Black adults. Subsequent analyses will examine the effect of recession events on daily sleep patterns.


DISABILITY STATUS, FINANCIAL STRAIN, AND SUBJECTIVE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR PEOPLE WITH LTSS NEEDS IN CALIFORNIA
Lei Chen 1 , Kathryn Kietzman 2 , and Fernando Torres-Gil 2 , 1. University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, 2.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, United States
Many people with needs for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) are vulnerable to financial strain, a chronic economic stressor that may negatively affect a person's well-being. This study examines the extent to which financial strain mediates the relationship between people's disability status and subjective health and well-being, controlling for select demographic characteristics. Disability status refers to the intensity of disabilities that people report, including cognitive impairments, and/or difficulties performing activities of daily living and/or instrumental activities of daily living. Financial strain measures the number of challenges that participants incurred during the last year in acquiring food, housing, health care, and other basic needs. We use the first cycle of data (2019-2020) from the California Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) survey, merged with select data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) (N = 2,030). Drawing from Pearlin's Stress Process Model, we use Conditional Process Analysis (CPA) to examine the hypothesized mediation relationships. Findings show that the intensity of disability status has a direct association with self-rated health (c' = -.2054, p < .0001) and psychological distress (c' = .7247, p < .0001). Furthermore, financial strain experienced by people with LTSS needs mediates the relationship between their disability status and 1) self-rated health (ab = -.0178, BootCI= -.0285 to -.0082) and 2) psychological distress (ab = 0.19, BootCI= .1323 to .2648). These results have policy and practice implications for national and state programs, such as Medicaid, the Universal Basic Income (UBI) program, and the Master Plan for Aging in California. The purpose of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to describe the association between history of incarceration (HOI) and food insecurity (FI) among older adults. Quantitative data were obtained from the Health and Retirement Study, a population-based study of communitydwelling adults (n=12,702) aged >50. Qualitative data were obtained via key informant interviews with formerly incarcerated older adults and the human service providers serving them (n=15). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between HOI and FI, adjusting for demographic variables. HOI was associated with increased odds of FI (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.52-2.21). Race/ethnicity moderated the association between history of incarceration and food insecurity, with effects observed among Non-Hispanic Blacks (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.29-2.46) and Whites (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.74-2.97), but not Hispanics (OR 1.11; 95% CI 0.69-1.77) or those of other racial/ethnic groups (OR 1.79; 95% CI 0.71-4.52). Explanations for the association between HOI and FI obtained from qualitative interviews included ineligibility for food assistance programs due to felony conviction, lack of safe places to store healthy food, and difficulty using technologies needed to enroll in food assistance programs. The most common barrier associated with inaccessibility to healthful foods for this population, according to interviewees, is ineligibility for food assistance programs. FI is an important issue among older adults with a HOI. Re-examination of policies and procedures for accessing food assistance programs may be needed to reduce FI in this population. Adverse economic events can negatively impact aspects of health, including sleep quality. Poor sleep can increase risk of developing or exacerbating health conditions such as cardiovascular and metabolic disease, cancer, and suicidal ideation. It is critical to examine how economic hardships may amplify health disparities in midlife and aging, a rapidly growing demographic in the U.S. This study examines the effect of recession hardships on sleep issues in midlife and aging adults using waves 2 and 3 of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS; N = 2602; M age = 63.47; 56.99% women; 15.76% Black). Participants reported chronic sleep problems experienced in the past year, alongside frequency of experiencing sleep disruptions (trouble with onset, maintenance, feeling unrested). Participants also reported economic impacts (financial, housing, and job-related) experienced in the aftermath of the recession; with 75.56% reporting at least one adverse recession event. Regression indicated that recession events were significantly associated with higher odds of chronic sleep problems and high frequency sleep disruptions in wave 3, even when controlling for sleep problems in wave 2. When examining race and age as moderators, Black participants who experienced adverse events were more vulnerable to chronic sleep problems than white participants, whereas age showed no significant interactions. Results indicate that adverse economic events can impact sleep quality for midlife and aging adults, and that policy mitigating economic effects on sleep may especially benefit Black adults. Subsequent analyses will examine the effect of recession events on daily sleep patterns.

THE EFFECTS OF HOUSING AND LIVING STANDARDS ON LONELINESS AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION AMONG OLDER PEOPLE
Charles Waldegrave 1 , Chris Cunningham 2 , Catherine Love 3 , and Giang Nguyen 3 , 1. Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit,Lower Hutt,Wellington,New Zealand,2. Research Centre for Maori Health and Development,Wellington,Wellington,New Zealand,3. Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit,Wellington,Wellington,New Zealand Introduction: Housing security is a likely indicator of loneliness (Gierveld et. al. 2015, Gonyea et. al. 2018 but there are few studies that focus specifically on the relationship between the two. This paper presents findings from a New Zealand Ageing Well National Science Challenge research programme that presents findings on the impacts of housing and living standards on loneliness and social exclusion. Method: This presentation will provide results from a study of 200+ Māori (indigenous New Zealanders) aged 50 years and over. Key questions around loneliness and social isolation were co-created with the participants and responses compared with standard international scales to help identify both universal aspects of loneliness and culturally specific aspects. Questions relating to housing security, affordability, living standards and neighbourhood safety were also asked. Regression analysis was used to test the statistical significance of the various relationships between differing aspects of housing and loneliness.
Results: The results demonstrate statistically significant relationships between housing quality, affordability, living standards and neighbourhood suitability with both the universal and culturally specific scales of loneliness. Overall greater housing security and quality was shown to be negatively associated with loneliness, which suggests it contributes to the reduction of loneliness.
Conclusion: Addressing the quality of social connections has often been seen as the key way to address loneliness. The results of this study suggest housing security and living standards play an important role in people's perception of loneliness and their experience of it, as well.